Willow.



J. F. WHITE.

WILLOW. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2, 1909.

Patented July 11, 1911.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

WIIT EESEE,

COLUMBIA PLANOGPAPH co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

J. P. WHITE. WILLOW. APPLIOA TION FILED SEPT. 2, 1909.

9975723. Patented July 11, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M LA

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 420-, WASHINGTON, D. c.

JOHN FRANCIS WHITE, OF BRADFORD, ENGLAND.

WILLOW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1911.

Application filed September 2, 1909. Serial No. 515,929.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FRANCIS VVr-rrrn, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at 20 Cunliffe Villas,Bradford, Yorkshire,England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Willows,Machines for Opening and Cleaning Fibers, and Rag-Dusting Machines.

This invention relates to improvements in or connected with willows,machines for opening and cleaning fibers, rag dusting machines and thelike, whereby the material is more effectively opened, and the dust anddirt capable of being removed more eflicaciously.

The machine itself is of the type in which the feed is intermittent andthe material only allowed to escape from the machine at statedintervals.

In the present invention there are multiple cylinders and the passage ofthe mate rial from one cylinder to the other and from the last cylinderto the discharge is regulated by suitably arranged slides, dampcrs orthe like, the means controlling the slides and the feed beinginterconnected so as to insure the correct timing.

In the accompanying drawings a two cylinder willow is shown to which thepresent invention has been applied.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the willow as a wholewith certain parts broken away, while Fig. 2 is a, fragmentary viewtaken on the line II II of Fig. 1 showing simply the method of guidingand operating the shutters hereinafter described and a portion of thedriving gear. Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the gearing showing how theintermittent feed is operated. Fig; 1 is a further fragmentary viewshowing the driving gear for the feed rollers and the connection betweenthe feed rollers and the intermittent gearing shown in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1 the willow is provided with two cylinders 1 connected up withsuitable driving gear arranged on the opposite side of the willow fromthat shown in the drawing. At a point midway between and below the twocylinders is arranged an adjustable stud-plate 2 which carries asprocket wheel 3 and a pinion 4 rotatable therewith. This sprocket wheelis connected up by a chain 5 or other means to a sprocket wheel 6 on theshaft driving the feed rollers 7 and to an idle tension sprocket 8. Thepinion 4 on the adjustable stud-plate gears with a toothed wheel 9 on afixed shaft 10 which passes right through and is rotatable in the frameof the machine. This shaft carries at each side a sprocket wheel 11which is connected up by a chain 12 or other means passing over guidesprockets or other tension means 13 to sprocket wheels 11 mounted onstuds 15 preferably immediately below the axes 16 of the respectivecylinders 1. Each of these studs 15 carries a cam 17 which is capable ofa certain amount of radial adjustment on the stud and relative to therespective sprocket 14: by means of a pin 18 and slot 19. Pivoted on theframe and at each side are two levers 20 carrying anti-friction rollers21 about their middle points which are each of them acted. upon by oneof the cams 17 above referred to. The corresponding levers on each sideof the frame are connected at their outer end with links 22 connected bya cross shaft 23 which cross shaft carries a shutter or damper 2 1 oneof which controls the passage of fiber from the first cylinder to thesecond and the second of which controls the passage of fiber from themachine.

In the path of the cam controlling the intermediate shutter or damper isa lever 25, supported on a bearing 25 (Fig. a) the outer end 26 of whichis connected to a bell crank lever 27 which is connected by a pin andslot as at 27 to a lever 13 fulcrumed at 27* to a bracket 42 foroperating a suitable clutch mechanism 28 controlling the feed apron 29(Fig. 3). The cams 17 are so timed, the one set relative to the otherset that the intermediate damper or shutter is closed while the fiber ormaterial is being fed to the machine and only open to allow the passageof the fiber from the first cylinder to the second while the feed isinoperative. The discharge damper or shutter is never open when theintermediate damper or shutter is open, but is'opened to allow thedischarge of the fiber and then closed just before the intermediatedamper or shutter opens to allow the passage of fibers from the firstcylinder to the second. The relative timings of the two shutters and ofthe clutch 28 controlling the feed is obtained by the adjustment of thecams 17 relative to their sprocket wheels 14 while the ratio between thenumber of revolutions of the cylinders and the opening of the dampers orshutters is obtained by altering the ditermined times pressed upward bythe end 26 of the lever 25 as described.

I declare that what I claim is 1. In machines for opening and cleaningfibers, rag dusting machines and the like, a plurality of cylinders,feed rollers, a shutter between each cylinder and between the lastcylinder and the outlet, and means for operating the shuttersalternately and for throwing the feed rollers in gear when the shutterbetween the first two cylinders is in closed position, substantially asdescribed.

2. In machines for opening and cleaning fibers, rag dusting machines andthe like, a plurality of cylinders, feed rollers, a feed apron inconnection with said feed rollers, a shaft operating said apron, aclutch'on said shaft, a shutter between each cylinder and between thelast cylinder and the outlet, means for raising the shutters alternatelyincluding a cam, a lever actuated by the cam, and connections betweensaid clutch and the lever whereby the clutch will be thrown in gear whenthe shutter between the first and second cylinders is in down position,substantially as described.

3. In machines for opening and cleaning fibers, rag dusting machines andthe like, a plurality of cylinders, feed rollers in connection with thefirst cylinder, a feed apron in connection with said feed rollers, ashaft operating said apron, a clutch on said shaft, a shutter betweeneach cylinder and between the last cylinder and the outlet, leverspivoted on the machine, operating connections between said shutters andsaid levers, cams for operating said levers, a second lever actuated bythe cam operating the lever for raising the shutter between the firstand the second cylinders, and connections between said clutch and thesecond lever whereby the clutch will be thrown in gear when the shutterbetween the first and second cylinders is in down position,substantially as described.

4. In machines for opening and cleaning fibers, rag dusting machines andthe like, a plurality of cylinders, a shutter between each two cylindersof said plurality of cylinders, a shutter between the last cylinder ofsaid plurality of cylinders and the outlet of the machine, leverspivoted to the machine, operative connections between said shutters andsaid levers, sprocket wheels secured to said machine one for each lever,cams mounted on said sprocket wheels engaging with said levers, a thirdsprocket wheel mounted on said machine, a chain passing over eachsprocket wheel carrying said cams and over the third sprocket wheel,means for rotating said third sprocket wheel, feed rollers, a feed apronin connection with said feed rollers, a shaft operating said apron, aclutch on said shaft, connection between one of said cams and saidmensions of the pinion 4, and if need be, the sprocket wheel 3 011 theadjustable stud plate 2 above referred to.

About each cylinder 1 there is arranged a casing 30 which casings arearranged concentric about their respective cylinders except at theoutlet of the machine. These casings have built into them or partiallyconsist of gratings 30 which are located both over and under each of thecylinders 1. These gratings 30 are preferably combined with suitablemeans for aiding the removal of the dust and dirt which passestherethrough such as the hoods 31 and hoppers 32, through which air maybe drawn by suction. The lower portions of adjacent casings are joinedtogether while the shutters or dampers 24 between the respectivecylinders are located and work between the upper portions of theadjacent casings 30 in such a way as to in their lowermost positionclose down upon the upstanding edge formed by the junction of the lowerportions of the casings 30 It will thus be seen that on the shutterbeing opened any fiber which has been rotated by the cylinders will bethrown out, owing to the centrifugal force generated through the throatformed be tween the upper and lower portions of the casings in which theshutters work. The shutters or dampers 24 are guided between angle-irons33 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 suitably secured to the inner sides of thewalls of the willow. The apparatus as a whole is driven from a fast andloose pulley device on the side of the willow away from that shown inthe drawing, and the two cylinders are also connected up by pulleys onthis side. The second cylinder on the side shown in the drawing ishowever provided with a small pulley 34 which drives by a suitable belt35 the pulley 35 which by means of a pinion 36 connected thereto drivesthe large sprocket wheel 37 which is connected to the sprocket wheel 6above referred to, whence the shutters are operated as above described.The sprocket wheels 37 and 6 are mounted on the shaft of the lower ofthe second pair of feed rollers 7 which are preferably fluted. Thesefeed rollers are driven therefrom. On the other side of the machine therollers are interconnected by gearing in any known manner so that theyare driven synchronously. The lower of the first pair of rollers whichare preferably clothed with Garnett wire has a sprocket wheel 38 on anextension of its shaft which in turn drives the idle wheel 39 connectedto the gear wheel 40 which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 41controlling the feed apron 29. This shaft carries the clutch device 28suitably keyed on the shaft 41. The outer end of the lever 43controlling the clutch 28 is normally pulled downward by a spring 44 andat predeclutch for throwing said clutch into and out of gear, and meansfor rotating said feed apron shaft.

5. In machines for opening and cleaning fibers, rag dusting machines andthe like, feed rollers, means r'or rotating said rollers, a feed apronin operative connection with said feed rollers, means for intermittentlyoperating said feed apron, a rotatable cylinder within said machine fedfrom said feed rollers, a second cylinder in said machine fed from firstcylinder, a shutter between said first cylinder and said secondcylinder, means for operating said shutter, an outlet to the machine, ashutter between the second cylinder and the outlet, means for operatingsaid second shutter, means for regulating the time for alternatelyopening the said two shutters, and means connected to said means foroperating the first shutter and for throwing the forwarding means forthe feed apron into and out of gear.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a maincasing, a plurality of work cylinders journaled therein, secondarycasings for said cylinders comprising upper and lower concentricallyarranged grid members substantially inclosing the upper and lowerportions of said cylinders and communicating with each other through athroat opening, an outlet opening being provided for the last cylinderin the series, and said walls being provided with grid openings,shutters normally closing said throat openings and outlet opening, meansfor driving said cylinders, levers pivoted to said main casing,connections between said levers and said shutters, and means forintermittently and alternately elevating said shutters comprising rotarycam members engaging beneath said levers, and means driving said cammembers, substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a maincasing, a plurality of work cylinders journaled therein, secondarycasings for said cylinders comprising upper and lower concentricallyarranged grid members substantially inclosing the upper and lowerportions of said cylinders and communicating with each other through athroat opening, an outlet opening being provided for the last cylinderin the series, and said walls being provided with grid openings,shutters normally closing said throat openings and outlet opening, meansfor driving said cylinder, levers pivoted to said main casing,connections between said levers and said shutters, and means forintermittently and alternately elevating said shutters comprising rotarycam members engaging beneath said levers,means for adjusting theposition of said rotary cams relatively to each other to control thetime of operation of said shuters, and means for rotating said cammembers, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 19th day ofAugust 1909, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN FRANCIS WHITE.

Witnesses:

HERBERT PUMPHREY, FRED HAMMOND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

